Bengaluru surgeon arrested for doctor-wife’s murder with anaesthetic overdose

Dubai: Six months after the mysterious death of his doctor wife, a Bengaluru-based surgeon has been arrested for her alleged murder, accused of using a powerful anaesthetic drug to stage her death as natural.

Police said Dr Mahendra Reddy, a general surgeon, allegedly overdosed his wife, Dr Kruthika Reddy, a dermatologist, with Propofol — an anaesthetic commonly used in operating theatres — at their home in the Munnekollal area of the city in April.

According to an NDTV report, the incident took place on April 21 when Kruthika suddenly fell ill and was rushed to a nearby hospital by her husband. Doctors declared her brought dead. A case of unnatural death was initially registered at the Marathahalli Police Station.

The couple, both contract doctors at Victoria Hospital, had married on May 26, 2024, and were living in Gunjur. However, within months, Mahendra allegedly began harassing Kruthika mentally and financially, demanding money from her family to build a hospital, The New Indian Express reported.

In the last week of April, Mahendra is said to have administered intravenous (IV) injections to Kruthika twice, citing gastric issues. On the morning of April 24, she reportedly complained of uneasiness before being rushed to hospital, where she was declared dead.

After her death, Mahendra and his family initially opposed a postmortem and even persuaded Kruthika’s father not to allow it. But her elder sister, Dr Nikitha Reddy, a radiologist, raised suspicions and insisted on a detailed investigation, eventually filing an unnatural death complaint.

During the inspection of the couple’s residence, the Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) team recovered crucial evidence, including IV fluids, syringes containing traces of Propofol, a cannula set, and other medical equipment. These were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), which later confirmed the presence of Propofol in the victim’s organs — indicating possible foul play.

Following the FSL report, Kruthika’s father lodged a complaint on October 13, accusing Mahendra of murdering his daughter using the anaesthetic agent. Police arrested him the next day from Manipal, a university town in coastal Karnataka.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said evidence collected so far points to Mahendra’s involvement. “He was the one who brought her to the hospital and claimed she was unwell. We have now learnt she was injected with sedatives, suggesting malafide intent,” he said.

Investigators suspect Mahendra used his professional access to restricted ICU and operation theatre drugs to execute the crime and later attempted to make it appear as a natural death.

The accused remains in police custody as further investigation continues. The case has sent shockwaves through Bengaluru’s medical fraternity.